Consecratio coins - show us the deified ones

[Prieure de Sion]

Who invented it? Not the Swiss this time. It was Augustus, the old emperor, who had his adoptive father posthumously elevated among the gods. It soon became the custom in the Roman Empire for emperors to have their predecessors elevated to divus status by the Senate, provided they considered them legitimate. Certainly not (always) for religious reasons - I am more of the opinion that it was for reasons of state policy. But that is another topic.

Show us your divus coins... and let us commemorate them again after 2000 years. I may start with a Divo Severo struck under Caracalla in Rome with an eagle and globe. Minted in 211 AD in silver, as a denarius with a weight of 3.13g and a diameter of about 18mm.
 

 

[shanxi]

Faustina II 

Faustina II
AR-Denar, Rome
Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right
Rev.:CONSECRATIO, peacock standing facing, head right.
Ag, 17.2mm
Ref.: RIC 743, CRE 200 [R]

 

Faustina II
AR-Denar, Rome mint, posthumous AD 176 - 181
Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right
Rev.: CONSECRATIO, Pietas standing right, sacrificing on altar, and holding scepter
Ag, 3.38g, 18.1mm
Ref.: RIC III 741 [S], CRE 204 [R]
Ex Karl-Ludwig Grabow, Berlin
Ex Künker

Faustina II
AR-Denar, Rome mint, posthumous AD 176 - 181
Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right
Rev.: CONSECRATIO, peacock standing right with head turned right, tail and wings closed
Ag, 3.25g, 16.8mm
Ref.: RIC III 744, RSC II 71, BMCRE 714, CRE 201 [R]

 

 

[Prieure de Sion]

Ah you pull the lady card ... 🙂 that's very nice. There are very beautiful types, like yours for example. With men, it's usually a boring eagle or altar... the ladies are often more interesting visually. Thank you for showing it.

[ambr0zie]

Faustina I

Diva Faustina I AD 140-141. Rome
Denarius AR
17 mm, 2,56 g
RIC III Antoninus Pius 384a (denarius); RSC 175; BMC 473
AD 141
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved in several loops round head and drawn up and coiled on top. / Rev: CONSECRATIO, peacock, walking right, head turned back left

Faustina II

Diva Faustina II after AD 175-176. Rome
Denarius AR
18 mm, 2,71 g
176-180
DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, Bust of Diva Faustina II, hair waved and fastened in a bun on back of head, draped, right / CONSECRATIO, Rectangular altar, with horns at left and right, and door on front (sometimes decorated with palms)
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 746; RSC 75

Lucius Verus

 

Divus Lucius Verus AD 169. Rome
Denarius AR
18 mm., 2,70 g.
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 596B; RSC 55, BMC 503
Date: AD 169
Obverse Legend: DIVVS VERVS
Type: Head of Lucius Verus, bare, right
Reverse Legend: CONSECRATIO
Type: Funeral pyre in four tiers (ustrina), adorned with statues and garlands, quadriga on top

Pius  (not with the Consecration reverse, I only have those 3)

 

Divus Antoninus Pius AD 161. Rome
Denarius AR
16 mm, 2,74 g
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 441

DIVVS ANTONINVS
Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right
DIVO PIO
Square altar

 

Vespasian

Divus Vespasian after AD 79. Rome
Denarius AR
19 mm, 2,71 g
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 357;OLD RIC II Titus 63; RSC Titus 497
Date Range: AD 80 - AD 81
Obv:  DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, Head of Divus Vespasian, laureate, right / Rev: Capricorns, left and right, back to back, supporting round shield inscribed S C; globe, below

 

Also a Divus issue for Augustus (but not the best one there)

8.62 g 29. 3 mm
RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 81
AD 22-30
DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER
Head of Augustus, radiate, left
PROVIDENT S C
Altar-enclosure with double paneled door right; various ornaments on top, left and right

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by ambr0zie

[John Conduitt]

I have this murky coin commemorating Constantius I...

Maxentius (posthumous Constantius I), 307-308

Ticinum. Bronze, 26mm, 5.18g. Veiled head of Constantius I right; DIVO CONSTANTIO AVG. Domed shrine with double doors surmounted by eagle; MEM DIVI CONSTANTI; mintmark ST below (RIC VI, 96). Found Thoroton, Nottinghamshire (Portable Antiquities Scheme: LEIC-E90BD6).

Edited June 30, 2022 by John Conduitt

[John Conduitt]

This has seen better days (rather like the emperor).

Quintillus (posthumous Claudius II) Antoninianus, 270

Mediolanum. Silver, 16-18mm, 2.29g. Bust of Claudius Gothicus, radiate, draped, right; DIVO CLAVDIO. Altar with flames above, crescent on side; CONSECRATIO (RIC V.1, 261). Found in Kent.

[KenDorney]

This is my favorite in the series:

One side note, when I copy and paste text into the comment box it converts to an image. Why would it do that?

[Qcumbor]

Cool idea for a thread !

On 6/30/2022 at 11:18 AM, Prieure de Sion said:

It was Augustus, the old emperor, who had his adoptive father posthumously elevated among the gods.

Let's start from the begining !!

Octavian, Dupondius - Minted in Italy 38 BC
DIVI F, bare head of Octavian right
DIVOS IVLIVS, in a laurel wreath
27.07 gr
Ref : HCRI # 309, RCV # 1570

Q

Edited July 1, 2022 by Qcumbor
typo

[GregH]

I’ll throw in my Mariniana sestertius… 

I’ve reached a bit of an impasse with my one-per-ruler collection. All my remaining rulers cost tens of thousands of dollars. So now I’m allowing two-per ruler: one bronze and one silver. This recent purchase is a companion to my Mariniana ant.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by GregH

[Prieure de Sion]

Ok I still have two. Minted under Traianus Decius as Consecratio memory for Septimius Severus and Severus Alexander.

 

[Qcumbor]

37 minutes ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Minted under Traianus Decius as Consecratio

Tadam...and here's the complete series

 

Q

[Prieure de Sion]

7 minutes ago, Qcumbor said:

Tadam...and here's the complete series

[kapphnwn]

Demarius of Lucius Verus as Divus  Minted during reign of Marcus Aurelius circa 169 AD Head right bare. Rv eagle standing slightly to the right head reverted wings open. RIC 596a 3.22 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

Sources vary as to the death of Verus. Some suggest food poisoning others suggest small pox 

[Roman Collector]

Here's the deified Faustina the Younger being carried aloft on a big bird. The mint couldn't decide if it were an eagle ...

Diva Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.23 g, 30.2 mm, 11 h.
Rome, early AD 176.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, veiled and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONSECRATIO S C, Faustina II carried by an eagle flying left, holding transverse scepter in her right hand and with veil decorated with stars floating above her head.
Ref: RIC 1701; BMC 1572; Cohen 68; RCV 5226; MIR –; Cayón p.153, 32.

... or a peacock!

Diva Faustina II, AD 147-175/6.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.28 g, 32.2 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 176 or later.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: CONSECRATIO S C, Faustina, holding scepter, seated left on back of peacock flying upward to right.
Refs: RIC 1702; BMCRE 1570-71; Cohen 69; RCV 5227; MIR 56.

[shanxi]

The Mariniana Antoninian is missing:

 

Mariniana
Antoninianus, AD 257, Rome
Obv.: DIVAE MARINIANAE, diademed, veiled and draped bust on crescent
Rev.: CONSECRATIO, Peacock in splendor looking left
RIC Va, 3
Ex Künker München

 

and some Faustina II denarii:

 

Faustina II
AR-Denar, Rome mint, posthumous AD 176 - 181
Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right
Rev.: CONSECRATIO, transversed sceptre on draped throne; in foreground, peacock standing right.
Ag, 2.62g, 19.5mm
Ref.: RIC III 745, CRE 219 [C]

 

na II, CONSECRATIO, peacock, throne, diadem

Faustina II AR-Denar, Rome mint, posthumous AD 176 - 181 Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, draped bust right Rev.: CONSECRATIO, transversed sceptre on draped throne; in foreground, peacock standing right, a diadem lays on the throne Ag, 3.25g Ref.: RIC III 745, CRE 220 [S]   Faustina II AR-Denar Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, Draped bust right. Rev: CONSECRATIO, Crescent surrounded by seven stars AR, 3.29g, 18mm Ref.: RIC 750 (Aurelius), CRE 172 [S] Ag, 3.96 g, 22 mm

Edited July 5, 2022 by shanxi

[thejewk]

My very first coin, purchased back in 2019 as a birthday present from my wife, was this Marcus Aurelius denarius.  I'm very happy to say I love it as much now as I did then.

[Finn235]

Since posthumous is a distinct title that I actively seek out for my collection, I might have one or two...

Augustus 

Claudius

Octavia?! (The "Thean" would seemingly indicate divine status)

Vespasian

Nerva

Trajan's father, Marcus Ulpius Trajanus

Marciana

Trajan

Matidia

Sabina

Hadrian

Faustina I

Pius

Verus

Faustina II

Marcus Aurelius

Severus

Maesa

Paulina

Mariniana

Valerian II

Claudius II

Victorinus

Carus

Numerian

Constantius

Romulus

Galerius

Maximian

And the last emperor ever to receive a deification coinage - Constantine I

 

Like I said - one or two 😉

[Finn235]

Also, interesting to note is that there are a lot of posthumous coins that are not explicitly deification Issues - i.e. they do not make any mention that the person on the coin is deified, or sometimes even that they are dead.

My examples:

I've seen very widely ranging theories about this issue of Pompey fron Pompeiopolis - that it could have been a lifetime issue from the 50s BC or that it could be a posthumous issue, even as late as the Flavian era.

This As of Sextus Pompey depicts Pompey as Janus, and was definitely minted after his death

Although apparently never deified, nearly all coins depicting Agrippa are posthumous - this Nemausus dupondius was minted several years after he died... types with Augustus wearing laurels I have seen dated to various years, but always after 10 BC

Agrippa's memory was again revived by Caligula for this popular type

Livia is explicitly deified on several issues (regrettably I have none) but this issue from Augusta in Cilicia is supposed to be minted after her death, although it doesnt explicitly state that.

Tiberius was featured posthumously on only a single issue from Alexandria, opposite Nero (and also on Flavian restitution issues, which I dont have)

Germanicus' lifetime issues are actually somewhat scarce; he was however featured extensively after his untimely death

By Tiberius

Then Caligula (This one also has Agrippina Senior, who was not deified but only appears posthumously)

Then Claudius

And finally in a Restitution issue by Titus

Germanicus' sons Nero and Drusus were honored posthumously by Caligula (This one is really ugly)

Claudius' mother Antonia first appears posthumously by her son Claudius

Ditto with Nero Claudius Drusus

Then comes an obscure one - Galerius Antoninus was the son of Antoninus Pius who evidently died before his father came to power, but only appears on a single issue of an uncertain Greek city, opposite his deified mother. It doesn't even explicitly mention that Galerius is dead, but he must have been, or else Pius likely wouldn't have so eagerly adopted Aurelius and Verus and named them heirs.

And even more obscure - this small series of quadrantes depicts a young boy as each of the Four Seasons - some have speculated that these were minted to mourn Annius Verus, younger brother of Commodus, and only the second son of theirs to reach 5 years of age

Then we have a substantial gap and end with two tiny bronzes

Helena

And Theodora

The size and artistry on both seem to indicate that these were minted around the time of the single-standard GLORIA EXERCITVS coin, or 337-340. That would obviously make the Helena issue posthumous, and likely the Theodora as well, as she would have been in her sixties or seventies when it was minted. The reason these were minted is unknown, possibly to placate the upset populace after the Imperial purges of 337.

[LONGINUS]

Great coin and post, @Prieure de Sion ⭐⭐⭐ !

[Prieure de Sion]

Divus Nigrinianus, Silver Billon Antonianus, Date 284-285 AD, Rome, Diameter 21mm, Weight 3.15g
Obv: Head of Nigrinianus with Radiant crown to the right, DIVO NIGRIANO
Rev: Eagle in front, head to the right, CONSECRATIO
RIC V Carus 472 under his father Marcus Aurelius Carinus

[Qcumbor]

Some more here too

Q

[Jims,Coins]

- Bronze Coin (AE Antoninianus) minted at Rome for MARINIANA (posthumous), wife of VALERIAN I, between 256 – 257 A.D. Obv. DIVAE.MARINIANAE.: diad., veiled, and dr. bust r., resting on crescent. Rev. CONSECRATIO.: Peacock stg. facing, hd. l., tail in splendor. RCS #2926A. RSCIV #2 RICV p.1 #3. DVM #1/1. RCSVIII #10067. F-VF, slightly off-center on large flan, full legends, wholly bronze in color, minor porosity.

[Barzus]

A few more characters that were not represented yet 🙂

Julia Domna, Caracalla and Pertinax

 

[wittwolff]

I never saw coinage featuring the deified "Caracalla" and Julia Domna before but knew that they where deified during the Severan restoration. I guess these coins are quite rare. Anyways here some late types:

Divus Constantius I. - Siscia mint

Obv.: DIVO CONSTANTIO PIO PRINCIPI

Rev.: REQVIES OPTIMORVM MERITORVM

Divus Constantinus - Constantinople mint

Obv.: DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG

Rev.: -

Divus Constantinus - Cyzikus mint

Obv.: DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG

Rev.: VN MR

Edited August 3, 2022 by wittwolff

[Prieure de Sion]

Dying.
Burial.
Cremation.
Birds.

I discovered a very interesting article today. It's in German - but maybe you can have it translated into English in your browser. It is, after all, about another ancient burial method - being eaten by vultures. I didn't know that this ritual was practised until modern times.

Maybe interesting for those who are also interested in other historical things:
https://funeria.de/artikel/tierische-totengraeber-himmelsbestattung-bei-den-parsen-teil-01?fbclid=IwAR0se1iaEJEdUR_Jp5WKid6WHtK6DuwESfIiJrW-k0B9t_O596zcPaQg43I